Which of the following statements about lipid digestion in the small intestine is / are correct?
1 Emulsification by bile makes smaller lipid droplets, each with a smaller surface area.
2 Bile contains an alkali to reduce the pH of the material from the stomach.
3 Lipase secreted in bile breaks bonds in lipids to produce glycerol and fatty acids.

Answer:

Whilst emulsification increases overall surface area as it breaks a large lipid droplet into many smaller
droplets, at the individual droplet level, it decreases the droplet’s surface area. Hence statement 1 is
correct.
Bile is alkaline and neutralises the acid material released from the stomach into the small intestine.
This will increase the pH rather than reduce it. Therefore statement 2 is incorrect.
Lipase is not present in human bile. Therefore statement 3 is incorrect.
The answer is B